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Nelson Cruz: Translating Minor success

Nelson Cruz: Translating Minor success

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By Nelson Cruz
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MLBPLAYERS.com |

I was really happy with the season that I had at Triple-A, winning the MVP award and all, but I'm definitely happy to be back at this level.

At the start of the season, I didn't know if I would get another chance, especially after I was removed from the 40-man roster. I had worked hard to make the 40-man roster some time back, and after being on the roster for a couple of years, it was a strange feeling to be removed.

But my thought process was to go to Triple-A, work hard, and earn my way back. Looking back, I took the right attitude after I got the news, and that's a big reason I'm back. Some guys might be bitter and sulk, but I took it as a sign that I just needed to continue to work hard. I believed that, if I continued to work hard, things would work out for me in the end.

In the Minors, I worked hard to get everything together so that I would get another chance. I worked on the little things to try to make me a better and more successful player.

Now that I'm back, I'm just trying to do my part to make this team better. We have a good team up here.

The biggest difference between Triple-A and the Majors, to me, is that Major League pitching is more consistent. At Triple-A the pitchers miss with their pitches, but that doesn't happen as often at this level. Here, you have to be prepared. And if they do miss, you have to hit it.

With a few weeks left in this season, my goal is to take some good swings. My main goal is to take good swings, take good strides at the plate and to see good pitches. When the ball is in the strike zone, I want to have a consistent swing.

I also don't want to try and do too much. I want to come here every day and be relaxed. I know I can do that because I believe in myself.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz won the Pacific Coast League MVP Award after hitting .342 with 37 home runs and 99 RBIs in 103 games for Triple-A Oklahoma. Cruz has also made the most of his limited time with the Rangers with a .327 average, three homers and nine RBIs in 49 at-bats.